Musings about the Faction Champions AI

Now if you read that, either a) you’re bored because you’d already read it or b) you’re intrigued about what it implies for your class and hope the conclusions there are based on solid testing and anxious to put them to the test.
Me, I’m excited. In one (long) article Joanadark laid out why it is the Faction Champs hate me and go out of their way to gank me AND gave me ideas about how to cut down on this.

As the Raid Leader:
– I’m intrigued by the idea that if you focus the pet with a few of your dpsers then you’ll be able to tie up the FC healers for a while. The pet (especially hunter’s pet) automatically has the lowest health pool.. so if the logic described is correct, it should be easy to keep the FC healers focused on the pet for good while and -then- start CCing them when they start switching to the -actual- DPS target.

As a warlock:
– Change from Fel Armor to Demon Armor for the armor boost.
– Tap as little as possible. More tapping gives me more threat.
– If I get aggro from a melee FC I can drop it by popping away from them to my demon teleporter (getting distance), or by popping Demon Armor (which I should have already had up) or by eating a cookie (and having higher health).
– If I get aggro from a caster FC use my shadow protection (maybe just raising one resistance will be enough to drop aggro).

I’m not a tree.. but I find it interesting to note that the article suggests that if you’re a tree and you have melee FC aggro you might be able to drop it by shifting to bear and then running to a further out distance.

5 comments to Musings about the Faction Champions AI

Actually, the 100% most interesting thing here is that Blizzard has crafted a much more intricate threat system than they’ve ever had before. After two expansions Blizzard may be hard-pressed to justify using it elsewhere later, but it is still an interesting thing to note.

I have a confession to make. I got sick of dying with all the other warlocks in the first 666 seconds of this encounter… so I use my Demo spec here. Soul Link FTW and usually puts me ahead of all clothies (read: mages) so I don’t have to worry about the buggers until later.

I hate having to change a spec to feel worthwhile, however. At the same time, Night-at-the-Roxbury isn’t so much fun when you’re the meat in the melee sandwich.
.-= Fulguralis´s last blog ..Ruffled Feathers =-.

For me as a bear tank, I\’m going to be sitting a ways away from the fight and regularly popping into and out of bear form. On top of that, I plan to remove MotW and Shadow Protection from myself to make myself a bigger target for the spellcasters.